Karen Denise Gabay was born in San Diego, California and began her ballet training at the age of eight at the California Ballet School, andlater studied at the School of American Ballet in New York City. A principal dancer with Ballet San Jose, Miss Gabay’s diverse repertoire includes Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the title role in Giselle, Swanhilda in Coppélia, the pupil in Flemming Flindt's The Lesson, the title role in Roland Petit's Carmen, the principal female in George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Tarantella and Serenade, the Cowgirl in Agnes DeMille's Rodeo and has had many ballets choreographed for her by Ballet San Jose Artistic Director, Dennis Nahat.

Miss Gabay has been a guest artist with the North Carolina Dance Theater, Ballet Tucson, Ballet Nuevo Mundo, The Eglevsky Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Los Angeles Classical Ballet and has toured with Cynthia Gregory's Dance Galaxy throughout South America. In 2008, she performed at the International Ballet Competition Reunion Gala in Jackson, Mississippi and has danced at various galas and festivals that include the Vail International Dance Festival, the Career Transitions for Dancers Gala in New York City, and the Spoleto and Edinburgh Festivals with ballet icon, Rudolph Nureyev. Miss Gabay was invited to dance in the Hungarian Festival of Freedom Tribute with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, and assisted Fleming Flindt in rehearsing The Lesson, for the Kings of the Dance with Ángel Corella, Johann Kobborg, and Nikolay Tsiskaridze, and Ethan Stiefel.

Miss Gabay is rehearsal assistant for Ballet San Jose, staging and rehearsing the repertoire of the company. During the company’s hiatus, Miss Gabay is co-artistic director/resident choreographer for Pointe of Departure, a not-for-profit ballet company that she and fellow artist, Raymond Rodriguez created to continue ballet performances during the summer season. Miss Gabay also enjoys teaching, and is regularly invited around the country to instruct at various ballet schools.